I have long said that the simple way to avoid the twice-yearly confusion of the time switch-over is to do it once — to compromise by re-setting our clocks a half-hour differently — and be done with it forever. Of course, that means we would be a half-hour out of sync with the rest of the world, if they don’t follow suit. Alternately, those of us who favor the switch could, instead, change our own schedules, rather than the community’s clock. Presumably, such folks would be most likely to get the schedule switch right.

Let’s put the whole lower 48 in the same one or two time zones, and adjust local schedules to suit local preferences.

Steve Baur, Westminster

This letter was published in the Dec. 10 edition.

Your opinion poll on the debate between year-round daylight and standard time is missing the best option as the solution: to simply split the difference — nationwide. I realize Colorado can act unilaterally now to abstain from daylight time, as does Arizona already, but this is a debate in many other states too. It would make a lot of sense to just, again, split the difference and encourage the rest of the world to eventually follow our sanity.

Even without the world’s sanity, looking at the time-zone global map, there are plenty of places in the world whose time advances by a half-hour, the closest to us being the far-eastern Canadian province of Newfoundland. Other places globally adjust by 20 minutes. Personally, I don’t need it to get dark at 9:00 at night in summer, and 4:30 in winter. I would easily settle for 8:30 and 5:00 respectively.

Jack Balas, Berthoud

This letter was published in the Dec. 10 edition.

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We don’t even think of this subject except twice a year, whenever we change our clocks. Once again I say, leave well enough alone.

Anonymous

Hear, hear. Clap, clap, clap.

Daylight Savings Time would NOT work in the Winter…….and Standard Time in the Summer simply has the “sunrise” so early that it is “wasted” when most people are still in bed trying to sleep…..at 5 am.

We went to Daylight Savings Time for very logical and reasonable reasons……logical and reasonable reasons that still exist today……except for the lazy and uninformed and uneducated.

Anonymous

Who ever called thor and Robt “progressive!” ;o) I agree with Tom.

thor

Being “progressive” should not be equated with being in favor of adapting to change. We adapt to change when it makes sense, not because of a political agenda. I agree with Tom, also.

Anonymous

I was speaking of “progressive” in the typical notion of “moving forward” – something today’s Republican wouldn’t understand since your political agenda is to move our society back to the 1950’s and our corporate policy back to the 1920 “robber baron” days. But at least we can agree this not an important subject :o)

thor

And the progressive idea is to move us closer to socialism. Why else would President Obama be so insistent that the top 2% pay a higher tax rate. Easy, so he can redistribute to those he deems needy. You know, each according to his ability to each according to his need. Of course that’s never worked anywhere its been tried.

Anonymous

If all else fails, invoke Marx and the commies, eh?

thor

Only when applicable. And, no, I didn’t accuse anyone of being a socialist. But they sure to embrace socialist ideology. Why is redistributing wealth better than opportunity to gain your own wealth? And don’t start your same old nonsense about minorities being held back. That is so 20th century. And don’t tell that to all the Hispanics and Chinese who have started restaurants or other businesses. And don’t tell that to Herman Cain either. (Though he isn’t a TRUE black because he’s a conservative.)

Anonymous

Why do you righties always use the term “socialism” like it’s a bad thing? Most of what you take for granted and enjoy is “socialism” and don’t make me list them all – you’ve heard this before. The right loves to create fear and loathing over some expression, and use outrageous terms to describe the most obvious and innocent of good things – “Obama is a sociailst!” – “The country is heading towards “socialism! – you know where a Government gives hands outs and funds corporations and big business along with “the people.”
Are you REALLY???? going to defend the top 2% who are paying tax rates lower than yours? Oh, yeah, that’s your other perjorative term – “redistribution”. . oooooh, how scary! We’re all barricading our doors so the evil Gov’t doesn’t come and take away our 60″ TVs and our guns (just the expensive ones) to give to the poor!.
Get a grip, thor. Your Chicken Little outrage is not selling today in this free market and the election results should send you that message. but we know the door is closed along with the mind, so keep up the phony scare tactics and loathing of everyone your fear. I think the people have spoken – and they don’t want tax cuts for the very rich (less than half the Republicans support this!), they accept gay marriage (majority), marijuana laws, . . they don’t want to move backward – it’s forward and only one party seems to understand this.

thor

“Why do you righties always use the term “socialism” like it’s a bad thing?” Because it is. Why do you lefties make vouchers out to be a bad thing?

“Are you REALLY???? going to defend the top 2% who are paying tax rates lower than yours?” They may pay at a lower rate, though I doubt it, but they pay much more in actual taxes. So, the facts defend themselves.

“redistribution”. . oooooh, how scary!” Not scary, but very Marx-like.

“they don’t want tax cuts for the very rich” The Hill did a poll and found out that, when asked, 61% think 25% should be the top tax rate. People may want the rich to pay more, but they have no idea what the top rate is. (Probably including you.)

Before you can move forward, you need to get a grip and quit your chicken little outrage.

Anonymous

Sunrise yesterday was 7:09 am……today it is 7:10 am.

Do we really, really, really want the sun to come “up” any later than that……like at 8:10 am……and have a situation where kids are walking to school or their bus stop IN THE DARK?

NO!

In the summer……do we really, really, really want “sunrise” to occur at…..5:00 am…..when most people are still trying to sleep and “daylight” that early is “wasted” for most people?

No.

Daylight Savings Time “delays” the “sunrise/sunset” to a “later hour”……so that most people can use that “extra hour” of daylight in the evening instead of “wasting it” while they are in bed asleep.

But as the days grow SHORTER, we need to “adjust” that “sunrise” BACK an hour…..so that we don’t have kids walking to school in the snow/ice when it is DARK.

Yes, with more and more “stuff” becoming “clock-oriented” like microwaves, cars, stoves, and all the regular clocks people have to “adjust”……it IS a bit of a hassle…..two whole times a year.

Big Stinking Deal. Are we really, really, really that…..lazy…..that we would have millions of kids walk to school in the DARK on snow/ice covered sidewalks…..just because we don’t want to spend the few minutes it would take to adjust our clocks back one hour in October?

Anonymous

Sorry Robt – but every year after the “spring forward”, traffic accidents from fender benders to fatalities spike during the morning rush hour (regardless of road and weather condition – and the spike lasts almost 2 months – which is never included in the debate. Folks aren’t complaining about the annoyance of resetting the clocks – they’re complaining about having their sleep patterns disrupted (which is why “fall back” is easier to cope with) – and recent studies indicate that CHILDREN have an even tougher time adjusting (apparently most children need 8-12 hours of scheduled sleep while adults need 7-9) – which probably impacts how well they learn in their morning classes after the “spring forward”.

Since you are complaining about how we would be impacted by being in DST year round, how about doing what Arizona and Hawaii do: STANDARD TIME year round?

Anonymous

Spot on. There’s also an initial spike in heart attacks and strokes when the annual switch to DST occurs.
Day light Saving Time was billed by Congress as a cheap way of saving energy. It doesn’t save energy, and it costs in other (in)tangibles.
Dump it.

Anonymous

The Denver Post is pulling our leg, right??? They posted these letters a genuine ideas on how to fix the daylight savings time debate? A solution akin to biblical King Solomon’s splitting of the baby? So with the “half hour compromise” we’d see that a TV show advertised at 9pm Eastern Time, we’d have to get out our cheat sheet or calculators and calculate what that meant in Colorado Half Day Light Savings time? I guess that would be an hour an hour and a half? These letter writers must settle disputes in their home by splitting everything in half . . attention for the dog and cat, listening time for Dad, xmas presents, cars, etc.

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To reach the Denver Post editorial page by phone: 303-954-1331

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